Big-screen 'Sopranos' prequel reportedly in the works

New Line Cinema announced Thursday that it has picked up “The Many Saints Of Newark,” a feature film script written by David Chase that will serve as a prequel to his iconic TV series, “The Sopranos.”
NorthJersey.com

A big-screen prequel is being developed for New Line by David Chase, who created the original HBO series, according to reports.

The Soprano family in a scene from the finale of the HBO dramatic series, "The Sopranos." From left, are James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, Edie Falco as Carmela and Robert Iler as Anthony Jr.(Photo: AP Photo/HBO, Will Hart)

Here's gravy for "Sopranos" fans. Or "tomato sauce," for you non-Sopranos.

A big-screen prequel, apparently tracing the early history of Tony, Paulie, Uncle Junior and their fellow North Jersey wise guys, is being developed for New Line by David Chase, who created the original HBO series, according to reports from Deadline Hollywood and Variety.

The movie, which has the working title "The Many Saints of Newark," has a screenplay by Chase and his old "Sopranos" collaborator Lawrence Konner. The film will reportedly be set in and around the period of the 1967 Newark riots, and deal with tensions between the Italian and African-American communities.

The deal was apparently just closed; no release date has been announced. The New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission, which would presumably vet any location shooting in Newark, has yet to be contacted.

"I heard about it today," said Steven Gorelick, the executive director of the commission, which is based in Newark. "I'm very excited about it. It should be tremendous for the state. We'd love to help them out. We'd love to have David Chase back home again."

James Gandolfini, the late, lamented star of "The Sopranos."(Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images)

James Gandolfini, who grew up in Park Ridge and won enduring fame as the sometimes-vicious, sometimes vulnerable Tony Soprano, died in 2013. Nutley's Frank Vincent, who played Philip "Phil" Leotardo, died this past September. The game-changing show, which many credit for spurring the new golden age of premium-cable drama, ran from 1999 to 2007 and won 21 Emmys and five Golden Globes.

Michael Imperioli attends the World Premiere of two new episodes of HBO's The Sopranos Tuesday, March 27, 2007, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.(Photo: AP Photo/Stephen Cherni)

It's not known for certain which characters will be included, and which actors, if any, will reprise their roles. Among the film's rumored characters: younger versions of Uncle Junior, Tony's mother Livia (memorably portrayed, as a diabolical old lady, by the late Nancy Marchand in the series) and her husband, Giovanni “Johnny Boy” Soprano.